Crib rolling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A moving apparatus for reciprocally rolling a child in a rollable carriage, to and fro repeatedly, the apparatus comprises: an apparatus housing configured to remain stationary relative to a resting surface; an electrical motor supported by the housing; a reciprocally movable carriage driver supported at the housing and at least one attaching device for attaching at least one end of the carriage driver to the rollable carriage; a coupling between the motor and the carriage driver for causing the driver to receive motive power from the motor to cause the driver to move reciprocally; a controller for actuating the motor; and the carriage driver is so supported and configured as to cause it to reciprocally move to and fro along a substantially straight line. The carriage driver can be a motor driven driver shaft, rope or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus for soothing and lulling a baby or very young child in a crib to sleep and, more particularly, to an apparatus that can be attached to existing cribs whose legs are mounted on wheels to move the crib to and fro, back and forth, in a reciprocal, soothing motion.

Most of the prior art relating to the subject matter of the present invention produces “rocking” motions that are imparted to a crib or stroller and the like. Exemplary of the prior art are the apparatuses described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,398,353 and 6,588,527, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. Other prior art that may be tangentially related to the subject matter of the present invention is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,950,020; 8,561,227; 7,918,505; 7,203,981; 6,854,138; 5,742,960; 5,486,034; 5,107,555; 5,088,138; 4,615,059; 4,419,777; 4,258,446; 4,028,753; and 3,952,343. The entire contents of the foregoing list of patents are incorporated by reference herein.

To the present inventor's knowledge, all existing prior art imparts a rocking motion to the baby or very young child, rather than mimicking the motion that is obtained when a parent places a very young baby in a stroller and moves the stroller to and fro, forward and backwards, while standing in one spot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can be easily coupled to existing cribs without any modifications to the crib to enable the crib to roll from side to side, reciprocally, in response to different actuating switches or sounds or electrical commands.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are realized in a form of an apparatus that includes a moving apparatus for reciprocally rolling a child in a rollable carriage, e.g. a crib, to and fro repeatedly. The apparatus comprises: an apparatus housing configured to remain stationary relative to a resting surface; an electrical motor supported by the housing; a reciprocally movable carriage driver supported at the housing and at least one attaching device for attaching at least one end of the carriage driver to the rollable carriage; a coupling between the motor and the carriage driver for causing the driver to receive motive power from the motor to cause the driver to move reciprocally; a controller for actuating the motor; and the carriage driver is so supported and configured as to cause it to reciprocally move to and fro along a substantially straight line. The carriage driver can be a motor driven driver shaft, rope or the like.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the apparatus of the present invention coupled to a crib.

FIG. 2 shows the internal mechanism of the apparatus of the invention which produces the reciprocal, back and forth motion.

FIG. 3 shows a variant on the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an electrical circuit for the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a wired remote control for the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a wireless remote control for the apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts an otherwise conventional crib 10 with a body 12 defining an interior with a base 13, on which a mattress can be placed, and including four legs 14 a, 14 b, 14 c and 14 d with a cross-bar 18 a between legs 14 a, 14 b and a cross-bar 18 b between the legs 14 c and 14 d. The legs stand on wheels 16. The crib 10 can be moved lengthwise, back and forth, or widthwise, in well known manner.

The present invention comprises a crib moving apparatus 20, that can be box-shaped, with an interior 20 a which is defined by surrounding walls 20 b (FIG. 2). The apparatus 20 supports a driving shaft 40, preferably round, which reciprocates back and forth relative to the apparatus body 20 c, whereby the protruding left and right portions of the shaft 30 move in unison back and forth, reciprocally, as indicated by the arrow 28 (FIG. 1). The driving shaft 30 has left side and right side hooks 30 a, 30 b which are respectively connected to ropes 34 a and 34 b, each one having a distal end which is connected to the crib cross-bars 18 a and 18 b. When the driving shaft moves back and forth in the direction of arrow 28, the crib is propelled to move to the right and then to the left and so on, indefinitely, as long as motive power is utilized to drive the reciprocating, driving shaft 30. The apparatus body 20 c is itself immovable, including, in accordance with the one embodiment because it rests on a rubber base 24 and affixed to it by a layer of adhesive 26. Naturally, many other forms of assuring this immovability can be provided, including by bolting the box internally to the underlying floor or by providing bracketry that anchors the box to a nearby wall and in many other ways easily perceived by one of ordinary skill in the mechanical arts.

In accordance with one embodiment (not shown), the rubber base 24 can be provided in a size that extends in all directions beyond the apparatus body 20 c, whereby the wheels 16 of the crib would roll on the base as well. This embodiment would be useful for a room which has a very heavy or shaggy carpet. The base might be made of solid/rigid material and be slightly arcuate and also possibly scored with grooves to impart to the moving crib gentle up/down motion and very slight shaking to better simulate the motion experienced when being pushed in a stroller over sidewalks and the like, as the crib rolls back and forth over the arcuate base.

Activation of the apparatus to drive the shaft 30 to impart the reciprocal motion to the crib 10 can be provided from the control box 32, which is connected by electrical cable 46 to the apparatus 20, which control box 32 has various control knobs or buttons to operate the device of the present invention, as described below.

Turning to FIG. 2, the interior 20 a of the apparatus body 20 c houses the motor 40 which has a driving axle 40 a that is rigidly attached to one end of an offset axle driving bar 40 d that, in turn, supports an offset axle 40 c that extends vertically upward, passing through a channel 30 b that is carved inside a motion coupler 30 a. The coupler 30 a interrupts the shaft 30 and has the channel 30 b extending laterally in a direction generally perpendicular to the reciprocal motion direction of the shaft 30. The motor axle 40 a turning causes the offset axle 40 b to traverse a large circle, pushing on the coupling 30 a to move initially to the right at a maximum speed then slowing down as the offset axle reaches a position where the offset axle 40 b is aligned in the same direction as the shaft 30, then accelerating the shaft 30 in the opposite direction, reaching maximum speed and then beginning to slow down until the shaft reaches its maximum extension in the left side direction and so on, for as long as the motor axle 40 a keeps turning, for example, clockwise (in FIG. 2).

The motor 40 receives its driving power in the form of pulses provided on the electrical line 74 which emanates from the electrical system 49 which houses a power supply 70 and an electrical circuit 50. The power supply 70 may be connected via a conventional electrical cord 72 that allows its A/C plug 72 a to be inserted in a conventional A/C wall socket to produce the voltages necessary for operation of the circuits of the present invention, including the motor 40.

The basic mechanical structure of the invention lends itself to many variations. For example, in FIG. 3, the motor 40 may drive, via its axle 40 a, a large diameter tube 40 d that drives a cable 42 having multiple windings 42 a spooled on the tube 40 d whereby as the motor 40 turns in one direction it pulls the crib 10 in FIG. 1 to one side and when the motor direction is reversed, the crib is pulled in the opposite direction. The distal ends of the rope 42 would be, in this case, connected to the crib, as in FIG. 1.

Furthermore, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft need not be attached to the crib via ropes, such as the ropes 34 a and 34 b. Instead, the shaft ends may be made long enough to reach the crib cross legs 18 a, 18 b to be directly coupled thereto, to provide a rigid connection that would not allow any freedom of movement for the crib in a direction other than along the directions of arrow 28.

As a self-evident variation, the portion of the shaft 30 may have an internal, telescoping section which can be pulled out to adjust to different sized cribs with a pin mechanism, or have other mechanisms to adjust the shaft length. For example, the internal wall of the shaft may be threaded, accommodating therein an inner shaft whose extension is adjustable, again in well known manner.

An advantage of using a rigid shaft, is that it may be sufficient to provide the shaft 30, only on one side of the apparatus 20 and drive the crib by holding rigidly onto only one of the crib cross bars.

Turning to FIG. 4, the power supply 70 can receive A/C power through the electrical cord 72 and produce a 24 VDC voltage that is supplied to the motor 40 via line 74. The motor 40 will turn faster or slower, depending on the duty cycle of pulses provided to the gate of the transistor 43 from the output 56 a of the speed timer IC 56 which, in the present embodiment, is a well known 555 timer IC. The motor speed IC 56 is set via the resistor 56 c and the variable resistor 56 b to run in a stable mode, producing pulses as indicated at 45, with a duty cycle that varies based on the adjustment of the variable resistor 56 b. The power input 56 d of the speed IC 56 receives the output 54 a of a similar 555 timer device 54 (preferably a 555 timer) which is however set up to produce a single pulse of a certain period during which the motor 40 is enabled. For example, the output at 54 a may produce a pulse of five minutes, enabling the motor speed timer IC 56 to produce its pulses for a period of five minutes, which in turn, would cause the crib in FIG. 1 to reciprocate for the same amount of time. The timer IC 54 is controlled to operate in a mono stable mode, producing a single pulse whose duration is determined by the adjustable resistor 54 b.

The integrated circuits 54, 56 receive their operating voltage which can be a 5 volt voltage, which is produced by the integrated device 52 that converts the 24 DC voltage to a voltage which is at 5 volts, for example.

That same Vcc voltage drives the counter IC 58, e.g., a model 4017 counter, the function of which is to produce a counter output 58 a and counter output 58 b, in each case driving a respective transistor. The output 58 a is coupled to the reset pin of the timer IC 54, while the output 58 b is coupled to the trigger input of the timer IC 54. When the counter IC 58 produces a pulse at its output 58 b, and the integrated circuit 54 is not in a reset mode, it will produce a pulse of, say, 5 minutes at 54 a to turn on the motor for 5 minutes.

Actuation of the motor 40 can occur in one of several ways. A first way can be by operating the switch S1 (58 d) providing a clock pulse at 58 c. In a second mode, the integrated receiver 58 f can respond to infrared pulses received from the remote control transmitter 70 shown in FIG. 6 to provide the clock input at 58 c to thereby activate the motor. In a third sound activation mode, sounds in the room where the crib is located, for example, from a crying baby, are received by the microphone 60 a which produces a signal via the operational amplifier 60 b (which could be a 741 op amp) that provides a pulse (when the switch S2 (60 d) is closed) that reaches the trigger input to the integrated circuit 54, activating the motor for the set time period. The resistor 60 c sets the sounds sensitivity level.

The arrangement permits a parent to activate the soothing motion by pressing the switch S1 (58 d) or by using the remote transmitter of FIG. 6 or to happen automatically by voice activation, for example, by the child's cry.

Setting of the speed and time resistors 56 b, 54 b can be via the adjusting knobs in FIG. 1. The switch 60 d can be used to disable the voice activation.

Turning to FIG. 6, the activating transmitter 70 is self contained and portable and has an internal battery 72 which can power the actuating IC 76 to provide an output current that powers the infrared LEDs 78 for a set time duration that is determined by the values of the resistors 76 a, 76 b, whenever the switch 74 is momentarily depressed. The infrared pulses reach the receiver 58 f in FIG. 6, causing the motor to turn on for the desired time period, as previously described.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A moving apparatus for reciprocally rolling a child in a rollable carriage, to and fro repeatedly, the apparatus comprising: an apparatus housing configured to remain stationary relative to a resting surface; an electrical motor supported by the housing; a reciprocally movable carriage driver supported at the housing and at least one attaching device for attaching at least one end of the carriage driver to the rollable carriage; a coupling between the motor and the carriage driver for causing the driver to receive motive power from the motor to cause the driver to move reciprocally; a controller for actuating the motor; and wherein the carriage driver is so supported and configured as to cause it to reciprocally move to and fro along a substantially straight line.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, the controller including a circuit that causes the motor to be activated, in response to a motor actuating signal, for an operator setable duration.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the motor actuating signal is generated from an operator controlled signal actuator.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the actuating signal is provided from a wireless remote control device.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the actuating signal is provided from a voice activated circuit.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a speed controller within said controller including a circuit that enables setting a motor speed that can be set by operator through a manual adjustment.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carriage driver comprises a driving shaft having a left section driving shaft and a right side driving shaft, each having a respective distal end and a rope element extending from each end of the left section and right section driving shaft to the child carriage.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the motor is configured to rotate in one direction and to couple its one direction motion to cause reciprocal motion of said driving shaft.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carriage driver comprises a cable, and the motor comprises a rotating tube that is controlled to rotate in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction to cause reciprocal moving of said carriage in one direction and then an opposite direction, respectively.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is affixed to a base that has a high coefficient of friction and the high coefficient of friction is sufficient to prevent the apparatus from sliding on its resting surface.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, including a base located on the resting surface and the housing is secured to the base.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the base has a dimensional size larger than a footprint of the carriage.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the base does not define a flat planar surface.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the base is made of a synthetic material having a high friction coefficient. 